"God, it feels like we've been going in circles." Phil muttered, practically dragging his feet.

"Tell me about it." Seiku replied, stifling a yawn into his hand.

One of Itosagi's ears was lopsided as he hopped along. "Poyu, poyu,"

As they happened upon an open dome, absolutely devastated by fallen rubble and prior battle. The stench of rubber and dust stung the air. They could only share a collective sigh. Every room in this once-remarkable castle had received the same treatment. The floors would rumble as they walked, the ceilings looked near-collapse, and a sound reminiscent of a ghost murmur.

Amera glanced across the destroyed tile. "I think we've been through here already."

"Yeah, well, that's obvious, isn't it?" Phil sneered, stepping forward and kicking a stone across the room. It ricocheted across the room and directly into a crater, raising a cloud of dust.

"Phil..."

"This is hopeless." Phil said, closing his eyes and taking a hand through his hair. "We may as well go back."

At the very suggestion, Resh looked scandalized. Her bright eyes were wide. "But what about–"

"What are you going to say, Resh? Eve and Sundance? Caleb? People I barely know? Someone who has only tried to wreak petty havoc on Tokyo? An ex-boyfriend of pretty much a stranger? Eve, who never once offered a thank you for all that we're doing for her? Who looks at her nails longer than she looks at us? I like Sundance. The kid is sweet. Genuinely, I do, but forced to be around those shit-spewers must be a killer, sometimes."

The silence was deafening. Seiku scratched under his chin, made a face. "Oh, God, the awkward."

Kyo let out an empathetic sigh, lifting his hands in surrender. "Listen, I get how you're feeling–"

Phil huffed, tossing his hands. His expression, however, remained dire. "Whatever, whatever, we'll just retrace our steps. That's what everyone was vieing for, anyway, right? I just hope we can get out of here quick."

"Oh, don't worry, I'll make sure we'll make sure to take care of that."

Everyone turned toward the sound. Across the room, Lulubell and her partner, Luna, were standing. The book in Luna's hand brightening her features and accentuating the circles under her blue eyes. They were, however, joined by two newcomers. A boy with a slim build, gray spiked hair, blue-gray eyes with distinct lines extending down his cheeks. He stood at a presumed 4'1' and wore a steel gray T-shirt, faded jeans, and white sneakers. The older boy–a teenager, it seemed–had spiked gray hair and steel gray eyes. He had on a light gray T-shirt underneath a long-sleeved black tee, faded gray jeans, and black-white Vans. Both appeared bored. Seemingly expressionless.

"Is fighting really the answer to everything?" Seiku offered with a sheepish laugh.

"You said it," Lulubell said, raising her hands.

"Harazado!"

Lulubell raised her arm to the ceiling, the tendons in her arm changed to green, and thorned vines entrapped it, a spinning drill made of rose thorns was sent spiraling in their direction. Resh, Amera, and Itosagi rushed forward to intercept it, poised for battle. Meanwhile, Phil, Seiku, and Kyo, the books in their hands already glowing accordingly.

"Gigano Mirar!"

"Gadyuu Sorusen!"

"Kuroguran!"

Resh summoned multiple mirrors, which all shot reflective beams. In the next moment, Amera's sword was materialized and enveloped in bright flame. Most of the responding beams barely did any harm to the drill. But as Amera launched forward, her flaming sword at the ready, aiming to slice the thorned drill in half. As her sword struck, it made a terrible sound, like nails on a chalkboard or plaster, and sparks from the exhausting effort flew, filling the battlefield with light and crackling the air.

The book in Kyo's hand glowed fiercer. His teeth clenched. "Come on, Amera!"

Itosagi pounced over all of them, bedecked in gorgeous aqua armor, and raised his claws, which were crackling with electricity. As he fired bolts of it toward the drill, combined with Amera's flaming sword, the drill was successfully canceled out before it made further damage to the castle or harm to any of them.

But none of them were given a moment to rest. Not even skipping a second, Lulubell was in their eyeline, sending a spiral kick to knock Itosagi and Amera sideways.

"Mirar!"

Resh took a few retreating steps backward to raise a new mirror and fire the appropriate beam from it. Lulubell ducked right below the blast–though the light appeared to have irritated her eyes, judging by her ineptness–and swung a medley of uppercut swings, all of which Resh was able to either deflect or dodge. But when Lulubell swung a foot under her, knocking her off-balance and catching her off-guard, snapping for a spell, Resh could only cower.

"Llmo–"

"Boru Sarusen!"

Amera was behind Lulubell in less than a second. The spell had amplified her speed and skill. She slammed an elbow into the crook of Lulubell's neck. The strike could've paralyzed a human. Lulubell, however, struck the cobblestone with a deafening sound, but she managed to turn and avert Amera's incoming onslaught of punches with an elbow block. Lulubell spat in her face, effectively distracting her, then pounced backward, placing reasonable distance between them.

"Kuroguru!"

Itosagi's claws shot off like missiles and Lulubell narrowed her eye before charging forward and leaping over them. She landed on her feet, precise, and glanced at her partner.

Luna nodded. The book glowing. "Sa Nadai!"

Lulubell crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes. In moments, she was enveloped in a prison of colorful rose petals. When it all dispersed, her transformation was complete and a butterfly was born. In place of the two roses that normally tied her hair, a halo of roses sat, instead. Flower petals covered every angle of her body, masquerading as a gorgeous form of body armor.

Resh released a quiet gasp. "Oh my gosh, she's...beautiful."

Lulubell's smirk was deadly. In her new body armor, her speed was enhanced and she crossed over in under a minute.

Amera glanced over to Kyo. "A retaliation spell! Hurry!"

"You got it! Sorusen!"

At lifting her sword, the glare from the blade was blinding. Amera met Lulubell, mid-assault, and struck her with the sword. Lulubell immediately raised an elbow to block the impact and a few rose petals chipped off her forearm from the weapon's contact. Amera could've gloated but was soon dismayed when the petals, which had exposed a sliver of skin, started to regenerate.

"Wait. No–"

"You let your guard down!" Lulubell shrieked, sounding like a squawky bird, and threw a killer uppercut punch.

Amera managed to evade it, taking the brunt of it to the temple. But from the armor enhancement, it still felt like a boot to the stomach. Her sword slid a few feet away.

"Amera!" Kyo shouted, running over. She waved him off his attention.

"That's a great enhancement spell, I have to give her that...but I have no idea how to get around it."

"Unless we wait for the spell to take its course?" Kyo suggested.

"Poyu, poyu!"

"Yeah, you got it, Itosagi! Kuroguru!"

Lulubell's speed was practically cartoonish. She dodged and danced under the bolts of electricity like it was all a joke.

She laughed. "Like I haven't seen that before."

Amera pressed her mouth closed. "That depends if it even has an imposed time limit."

Resh extended her hand for her partner's sleeve, stopping him from a spell. "Phil...but–doesn't this seem odd to you?"

"Hmm?"

Resh pointed across the field at the two boys, rooted to their place. "The whole time...this whole time, we've been having endless trouble fending off Lulubell as a group of three yet those two haven't moved since we started." she said, releasing the hold on Phil's sleeve. "There's something up. There has to be."

"Damn, I wish I brought my camera. I left it back at the hotel."

Before either of them could blink, Lulubell split the tile with a fist into shards, immediately catching their attention, and snatched the newly-broken pieces, flinging them at the six of them with clear-cut aim.

"Well, damn," Phil said, raising both eyebrows.

"Oh my God, if I see this wall dent one more time, I seriously might die."

"Are you stopping again? That's, like, the third time." Sundance asked, releasing a sigh, glancing at his partner.

"Yeah, well, thanks for keeping track. I'm stopping again because my feet are killing me. What do you expect me to do?" Eve retorted, snide, trying to tamp feeling back into her foot.

Sundance gave another sigh. His hair was sweaty. "I don't know what to tell you, Eve. We're not going to progress at all. Standing here like ducks."

"Sundance, I am literally two seconds from leaving this shit castle and going home. Or my brother's apartment. Whatever. You have absolutely no idea–"

"I don't wanna argue–"

"I'm not arguing! Because you know what? This isn't even worth it. I'm tired. I'm sweaty. I have a huge welt on my wrist. I haven't gotten a manicure in weeks." she said, tearing at her hair. But when she caught Sundance's gaze, his stare was blank. Confused. He had no solution to her petty problems. Eve lifted her hands. "You know what? It's fine. I'm fine. Let's just...whatever."

"Eve, can we–"

Eve drifted her gaze. Not exactly in the mood for a consolation. When she strayed for the view outside the window, there was a peculiar blur on the bridge overlooking the water. At the familiarity, she launched toward the window and naturally overreacted.

"Wait...wait, no!"

At the sound of her obvious fear, Sundance startled. His eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

"They're leaving! Those...Caleb and Ophelia are leaving!" she screamed. "We have to go now! What are you doing just standing there? Let's go now."

Sundance frowned but followed.

I've been changing around a lot, plot-wise, but I really have 98% of the story planned out. Still having trouble with the ending. I've been changing it around a lot, but there's a lot of time until then. Thanks for sticking around and the next chapter will be out soon! R&R!